Maybe not now, but the future is looking brighter

Will we still worry about Alzheimer's disease in the next century? What a question! With the population of elderly expected to double by 2025, we'll be beside ourselves with worry--unless, of course, doctors figure out how to treat Alzheimer's or, better yet, prevent it. A quarter-century from now, the number of people suffering from dementia in the U.S. alone is projected to rise from 4 million to at least 8 million. "That will bankrupt our medical system financially and emotionally," says Bill Thies, head of medical and scientific affairs at the Alzheimer's Association. "Our only alternative is to develop effective therapies."